Typewriter-feeding device



Jan. 2z, 1929. 1,699,794

E. Z, LEWIS TYPEWRITER FEEDING DEVICE Filed April 8, 1925' 5 Sheets-Sheet l ljgl , E. Z. LEWIS lTYPFAIRITER FEEDING DEVICE Filed April 8, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i550-enter Ida! ard/Z. Ze zug/'5,

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E. Z. LEWIS TYPEWRITER FEEDING DEVICE Filed April 8. 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 /f ,jaa/www, Zwama 2619;@

Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

This invention lrelates to4 improvements in means for feeding-sheets of paper into a typewriter, and morey particularly to the feeding of a plurality of long strips of 5 printed forms around the platen of the t pewriter, said strips being superimpose on each other and interleaved with carbon sheets, whereby the filling in of the successivev forms with typewritten matter andthe production of the requisite number of carbon copies may proceed practically continuously. The general object of the invention is to provide mechanism for attaining this result. Contributoryobjects are the following:

To provi e means for rotating the platen in the opposite direction from that in which it usually rotates, in order to draw av predetermined length of the superimposed strips through the machine to the proper i initial position prior to the typewriting `operation Jwhich is necessary to fill in each printed form. v

'llo provide means whereby such positioning movement of the forms is substantially t twice as great as the return movement thereof during the typewriting operation, whereby said printed forms progress through the machine from front to rear and may be cut od' in suitable lengths, the movements of r the carbon paper baclr and forth across the platen being equal in amount, whereby said carbon paper is used repeatedly. 1

To provide simple means for guiding said strips of paper and interleaved carbon sheets down and against the front of said platen where they ma be engaged by the ordinary feed rollers un er said platen.

'lFo provide means for holding the carbon sheets momentarily away from the platen during the movement which results in feeding the completed bill down around the platen, said carbon sheets thereafter traveling around the platen with said forms so that said sheets are left in proper position for use when the typewriting begins.,

'lo mount the means for holdingthe carbon paper and for guiding the printed forms so that' the latter may readily" follow the movement of the carriage across the machine.

To conveniently detach and dispose of the completed forms, and to accomplish these results without changing, in any way, the construction of the typewriter; without attaching the device to the typewriter; without the necessity of releasing the feed rollers or changing the tension at any time.; without the necessity of unclamping the feed rollers 'to pull out and detach the completed forms;

carriage. f

Before describing the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the general operation may be outlined briefly as follows: Assuming that a form has just been filled in on the typewriter, the bottom line necessarily having been written last, the next operation consists in drawing the strips of forms down over the front of the platen, nearly twice the vertical length of a form, to the top writing line of the form above the' one just completed. If the vertical measurement of theV form is six inches, this will necessitate a reverse rotation of the surface of the platen of approximately twelve inches. During the process of typing the new form, it will be traveling upward, line by line,'and out of the machine away from the platen until the bottom line is reached when the operation is repeated.

Referring to the drawln s.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation yof the mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Fig.

Fig. 4f is a section, line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Fg. 5 is a perspective view of a clip or gul e.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a detail, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the carbon supporting bars, shown in Fig.. 2, but in lowered position. The typewriter 10, which may be of any standard construction, is shown resting on a table 11, which may have the usual supporting legs 12, cross-bars 13 and a longitudinal rod lion which may be mounted a foot pedal 15 for actuating the mechanism. Where such foot pedal is used, it is connected by a rod 16 to a lever 17 which may besecured to a shaft 18 to rotate the latter when the pedal is actuated. Said shaft is mounted in suitablebearings in a pedestal 19 and carries a gear sector 20 arranged to oscillate beveled gears 22, 23, which rotate a shaft 24,

cumbersome feed devices Vwhich must necessarily travel along with-an ever shifting typewriter carriage where continuous strips are gradually fed into said.

3 is' a front elevation of the printed 'form and its supporting parts.

on a larger scale, on

one end of the latter being arranged to be engaged by some suitable form of clutch mechanism on one end of the platen 26 of the typewriter. The arrangement is such that b operating the foot pedal the platen mayy rapidly rotated a predetermined number of turns. The gearing ma also be actuated manually by a handle 27, i desired, or said gearing may be motor actuated. A suitable casing (not shown) may be provided for enclosing said gearing.l

A pair ofuprights or posts 28, 29, are mountednear the rear of the table and supportan overhanging frame at the upper ends thereof.l The printed forms, a front view of which is shown in Fig. 3, are printed on llong strips of paper and are superimposed, one over the other. They may be separate strips, but they are preferably printed on a length of paper several times the width of the strip, as shown, and are folded back and forth, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and may be perforated along the vertical edges so that they may be readtorn apart after the typewriting has been ed in. The strip thus formed is sup-` ported temporarily in any.convenient manner. `In Fig. 2, it is shown folded back and forth and supported on ya shelf 32 behind the frame 30. The'end is drawn forwardly and downwardly over the top of theframe 30, which latter acts as a guide, and after the carbon sheets have been interleaved with it from opposite sides, as hereinafter described, it passes around the platen and extends rearwardly past the knife 33, whereby the finished forms may be cut oif` from the strip and may accumulate in a pile on the shelf or support 34.

A pair of guides 35 depends from the frame 30 with a member 36 arranged to slide up and down between said guides, carrying a transverse support 37 in which may slide a air of brackets 38, which carry a plurality o bars 39, each bar having a sheet of carbon paper 40 depending therefrom. The brackets 38 may'operate on ball-bearings in the transverse support 37 to insure free movement, if desired. The bars A39 are spaced apart somewhat, and the strips or folds of printed forms 31- are arranged to pass between said bars whereby a sheet of carbon paper is suspended directly behind each printed form, The platen moves to the left during the normal operation of the type-- writer. The strips of paper draw the supd port 37 and bars 39 transversely across the machine.

Since the parts move easily no special feed mechanism is required. In order to move the support for the carbon paper up and down, I provide links 41, 42,

.the latter being pivoted at 43 to the frame 30 and having its lower end connected to a rod 44 terminating in a hollow member 45 (see Fig. 6). The latter receives the upper end of a rod 46 with a hear 47 which may move up and down in said slotted member 45, roviding a certain amount of lost motion. -od 46 is connected to the lever 17 whereby actuation of the foot pedal 15 will move the supports for the carbon paper. In order that the support may be moved easily, it is preferably counterbalanced by means of a weight 48 suspended from a cord 49, passing over pulley 50 and secured to the member 36. The lever 17 also has links 51 connected thereto to operate the knife 52 for cutting off the finished forms.

With the arrangement described, it will be seen that before feeding the printed forms fand the carbon sheets downwardly around the platen, said forms and carbon sheets are in uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 2,

and the platen is in its extreme right hand position enabling the clutch 25 to engage the end of the shaft 24. Theoperator then operates the foot pedal 15 and raises the rod 16, thereby rotating said platen in a reverse direction and drawing the forms downwardly a distance approximately equal to twice the vertical height of one form. This brings the top line of a form opposite the printing line of the platen. As soon as the typist starts typing the form, the platen begins to move to the left and the clutch is disengaged from the shaft 24, which permits operation of the typewriter in the same manner as it is or dinarilyA operated. y

When the form is t ed and the bottom line of the particular orm is reached, the lower edges of the carbon sheets have passed beyond and are free from the said roller "pressure, and .thus are no longer clamped en bers 45 and 47, there is a slight delay before the carbon supportin frame begins to move upwardly during whleh time the knife cuts y oil:l the group of forms projecting rearwardly thereof, immediately after which said amount equal to thehei.y ht. of one of the forms, or a little more. mediately thereafter the operator moves the foot pedal in the reverse direction, thereby raising the rod 16, causing the gearing to rotate the platen in the reverse direction inthe manner previously described. As the printed forms are drawn downwardly, the carbon sheets are held momentarily and then drawn downwardly with them and are thus in position to furnish the necessary duplicate number of typewritten forms when the typewriter is again operated.

i With this arraerlgement, it will be seen that when the print strips are fed into the` -carbon sheets and forms are raised an lli) Htl

vas viewed from the front, and where long strips are used, there is necessarily an unevenvpulling action at the edges as they come in contact with the platen.

Although I have referred not only to printedV forms for the original sheets, but

-alsfoffor:the carbon copies, it is obvious that the invention is not limited to any particular type.; of forms orof carbon copies, printed or otherwise, nor is the invention limited'to the particularrmanner of feeding the strips to the typewriter as they may be fed from separate piles or rolls, or in any other convenient way.

What I claim as new is:

1. The combination with a typewriter having a platen, of means for moving a lurality 'of superimposed strips of Apaper down over the front and out the rear of said typewriter and against said platen, and means `permitting movement of a sheet of carbon paper down over the front and between said superimposed strips of paper, the movement of the latter being greater in one iirection that the other and the movements of said carbon paper back and forth being equal in amount, whereby said superimposed 4sheets of paper progress through the machine and whereby said carbon paper is used repeatedly.

2. A feeding attachment for typewriters, comprising means for supporting a plurality of sheets of carbon paper at the upper edges thei'eof with the lower edges adjacent the front of the periphery of the typewriter platen, means for independently supporting a plurality of strips of paper in position for each to pass in front of one of the carbon sheets and out of the rear, and means for moving the carbon sheets in and out of the machine with each succeeding new typewriting area on said strips of paper, the latter issuing permanently out of the rear of said machine.

3. A feeding attachment for typewriters, comprising means for supporting a plurality of sheets of carbon paper at the upper edges thereof with the lower edges adjacent the front of the typewriter platen, means for independently supporting a plurality of strips of paper in position for each to slide over one of said carbon sheets and around the platen from front to rear, means for lowering said carbon sheet supports and rotating said platen in a direction to drawV 'said carbon sheets into the typewriter with writer platen, means for supporting a plurality of strips of paper in position for each to pass in front of one of said carbon sheets and around the platen from front to rear, means for rotating said platen in a direction to draw said carbon sheets into the ty ewriter with said sheets of paper, means or cutting off the finished typewritten portions as they are fed out of said machine, and means for raising the carbon paper supports at the end ofthe typewriting operation to move said carbon sheets into position between the unused areas of said paper.

5. The combination with a typewriter having a platen, of an attachment comprising a supporting frame, a support for strips of paper thereon, a supportfor carbon papers vertically movable in said support, and means for reciprocating said frame, said strips of paper passing through said carbon supporting means down over the front of the periphery of the platen and permanently around and out to the rear.

6. A typewriter attachment comprising means for guiding superimposed strips of paper down over the front of and under the platen of a typewriter, means for supporting a sheet of carbon paper between said superimposed strips, means for rotating the platen in a direction the reverse of its usual rotation, a knife for cutting oit' the completed portions of said strips, and connections between said platen rotating means, said knife and said carbon supporting means, whereby said cai-bons are straightened during said cutting oft' operation.

7. A feeding and billing attachment for a typewriter, comprising feed rollers, a platen adapted to be turned in the reverse direction from the usual platen movement, means for pulling a strip of printed bills printed one above the other down over the front ofthe platen in contact with the front surface thereof and into engagement with the said feed rollers underneath the platen, and a speed increasing gear attachment for rotat- 4 ing the platen and the bill the distance from the bottom writing space on the bill past the top of the bill and on to the top writing space on the next succeeding bill and simultaneously moving the next previously typed bill permanently out at the rear of the inachine into a position to be detached at its top edge.

8. A feeding and billing attachment for a typewriter, comprising feed rollers, a platen adapted to be turned toward the operator in 'K guiding stripls shelf and lying between the strips Ofprinted bills, the printed bills lying in superimposed :position withl bills on the other strips, a speed increasing gear atttachment associated with the said feed rollers under the platen paper until the succeding bill adapted to rotate the plate and the carbon interleaved strips of bills a distance equal to the distance from the bottom of a bill past the top of the hill and on to the top of the next succeeding bill, and means for delaying the movement of the carbon interleaving comes in contact with the platen.

9. A feeding and billing attachmentV for a typewriter, comprising feed rollers, a platen adapted to be turned toward the operator in a reverse direction from the usual laten movement, a shelf suspended over an supported independently of the typewriter,

means for guiding strips of printed bills printed one above the other on the strip over the shelf down in a direction tangent to the front of the platen, carbon means suspended from the shelf and lying between the strips of printed bills, the printed bills lying in superimposed position with reference to the bills on the other strips, a speed increasing gear attachment associated with the said feed rollers under the platen adapted to rotate the platen and the carbon interleaved strips of bills a distance equal to the distance from the bottom of a billpast the top of the bill and on to the top of the next succeeding bill. means for delaying the movement of the carbon interleaving paper until the succeeding bills come in contact with the platen, and means for simultaneously cutting off the previous set of superimposed bills from the strips of bills.

10. A feedingand billing attachment for a typewriter, comprising feed rollers, a platen,

a shelf suspended above and supported independently of the typewriter, a track supported by said shelf in horizontal alinement with said platen, a sheet of carbon paper or .transfer material, a bar, said paper being suspended from said bar, said bar being adapted to run along the track and adapted to travel along with. two strips of printed bills which are pulled over the shelf and guided one in front and one behind the carbon sheet in a direction tangent to the front of the platen, then around under the platen to be constantl gaged by said? feed rollers,

ce approximately twice th ing space of eachibill, while simultaneously en aging tlie carbon ,strip and carrying it on y approximately one half of said distance.

11, n a t pewriter having a platen, a. feeding attac cnt for bills printed in continuous strips, a shelf suspended over and supported independently of -the typewriter, and sliding forks suspended from said shelf through which the strips of bills travel downwardly in a direction tangent to the front of said laten. v

12. A feeding and billing attachment foi` a typewriter comprising a platen and feed rolls, a support above the t pewriter carriage for a continuous strip of printed forms, means for guiding the forms down over the front of the platen into engagement with the feed rollers under the laten, speed increasing means for rotating t e platen in the reverse of the usual platen movement to pull the continuous strip down, around and out at the back of the platen, at each operation, a distance approximately twice the c -height of a form, ordinary means for typewriting the form, means behind the laten for cutting ofl the preceding typed orms, one at a time, and connections between said rotating means and said cutting means, wherebyv the last line on the bill will be in writing position when a previously typed bill is in cutting position.

:13.'A feeding and billing attachment for a typewriter comprising a platen, feed rollers, means for rotating said platen in a reverse direction from the usual platen movement, means for guiding a strip of printed forms down over the frontv of the platen into engagement with the feed rollers, a speed increasing gear attachment adapted to rotate the platen andstrip of printed forms a distance equal to the distance,y from the bottom writing space of one form to the top writing space of the next succeeding form, means for automatically disengaging the rotating mechanism during the typing of cach printed form, and means for detaching one of the previously typed forms after each typewriting operation.

14. A feeding and billing attachment for a typewriter comprising a platen, feed rollers beneath the same, means for rotating said platen in a reverse direction from the usual platen movement, means for guiding two or more superimposed strips of printed forms interleaved with carbon paper down over the front of the platen in contact with the feed rollers, a speed increasing gear attachment adapted `to rotate the platen and strips of vprinted forms a-distance equal to the /distance from the bottom writing space of'one form to the top writing space of the nextfsucceeding form, means for automatically disengaging the rotating mechanism during the typing of each printed form, and manually operable means for actuating said platen rotating means to discharge the previously typed set of forms out `the back of the typewriter to be detached at the top edge thereof.

l5. In a feeding and billing attachment for a typewriter having a platen, feed supporting carbon sheets and acting upon reverse rotation of the'platen to move downwardly toward the platen, said carbon sheets being arranged between said printed forms; said carbon sheets being engaged by the feed rollers only during the typing of a form, and means for balancing the Weight of said reciprocatin device. f

16. A fee ing and billing attachment for a typewriter having a platen and feed rollers ada ted to draw continuous strips of superimposed printed forms between them, speed increasing gears gauged to move the printed strips in one operation approximately twice the distance of the vertical height lof one printed form, supporting means for suspending carbon sheets in position between the printed strips in their path toward the said platen, said carbon supporting means acting inconjunction with the rotation of the platen, and timed to move ldown with the suiported carbon sheets only half o the distance traversed by t e lstri s and the platen.

l A feeding and billing attachment for a typewriter comprisin feed rollers, a platen, and means for eeding continuous strips of printed forms arranged in superimposed position over each other and attached to each other at their lateral' edges, a shelf above the typewriter, and means for pulling said strips down over the shelf in a path tangent to the front of, said platen,

printed then into engagement with said feed rollers under the platen, speed increasing gears for the last rotating the platen forwardly or in an opposite direction from ordinary platen movement, 1n one operation, a dlstance approximately twice the height of the forms, aV

reciprocating device movable upon rotation of the platen, a fork attached thereto supporting a carbon sheet hanging between the strips of forms in their path to the platen, said device and fork being arranged to move downwardly toward the platen; said supported carbon sheets adapted to pass between the platen and feed rollers, after the platen and strip of printed forms have traveled half the predetermined distance.V

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

EDWARD Z. LEWIS. 

